Overworking a chainsaw.
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promechanic
ArboristSite Lurker
Bogging a saw until the clutch slips will burn out the clutch and melt the plastic surrounding it pretty quick. Long cuts on a saw that is too lean will melt a piston in a hurry too. Just pay attention to your saw. It will tell you if it isn't happy.
If you overheat a saw and it starts giving you “signs” it’s already too late. Fresh fuel, FD rated mix oil, sharp chain, and keep your air filter clean. Just maintain your equipment and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Overheating (lean condition) and overworking any saw are 2 distinctly different things. Chainsaws are designed to work hard and long. but if they get leaned out, usually they are done (without major surgery).
Keep the rpm in the working range around 9000. Steve
Different saws run at different rpm's My Timber Wolf runs at 11K. My ancient Stihl 028 is 12.5. It depends on porting and ignition / rev limiter. I run all of mine balls to the wall and never intentionally lug them
When the chain's dull you have to force the bar into the wood. That can overheat the saw. Stop and sharpen it.
I never, never run a dull chain. Just spent the entire day bucking some large oaks and sassafras trees that were brought down in a demo for a Senebogen forestry cutter. Huge pile of tall straight trees. Used my 028 for bucking (20" bar, 325 chipper cut at 30 degrees with relieved rakers)) and my little Echo CS for whacking off sucker limbs Took an extra chain for each with me. Ran the balls out of the ancient 028. Ran the little Echo pretty hard as well.
My rule of thumb is, when a chain starts showing pitch buildup on the heel of the cutter, time to change chains. Put the spare loop on each and flipped the bars over of course.
Not my wood, just helping a friend out. We cut the logs into 17 foot lengths and loaded them on a tri axle GN trailer. All the smaller stuff went into his trailer. Don't waste anything. Have about a month of cutting to do total.. Both saws run perfect on Tru-Fuel or Red Armor 50-1
My rule of thumb is, when a chain starts showing pitch buildup on the heel of the cutter, time to change chains. Put the spare loop on each and flipped the bars over of course.
Not my wood, just helping a friend out. We cut the logs into 17 foot lengths and loaded them on a tri axle GN trailer. All the smaller stuff went into his trailer. Don't waste anything. Have about a month of cutting to do total.. Both saws run perfect on Tru-Fuel or Red Armor 50-1
j-jock
ArboristSite Operative
Don't rev the crap out of your saw when it is cold and you first start it for the day. Give it a chance to warm up before you put it to work.
If you are going to damage the saw, that is one of the times you are at risk of damaging it, because the internal parts won't have sufficient oil to prevent damage at the extreme RPM.
Keep the saw, the filters, and the rails of the bar clean and dressed.
All the tips above.
If you are going to damage the saw, that is one of the times you are at risk of damaging it, because the internal parts won't have sufficient oil to prevent damage at the extreme RPM.
Keep the saw, the filters, and the rails of the bar clean and dressed.
All the tips above.
richy2k23
ArboristSite Lurker
Overworking with a chainsaw is never a good idea. You can damage the tool and it will cost you your money. Always take a break during the cutting operations and make sure that you are wearing the safety gear before operating a chainsaw. I have also compiled a guide on how to operate a chainsaw on my website Chainsaw Guru, so you can check it out too!
That applies to ANY internal combustion engine, your car or truck or chainsaw or lawnmower, anything with an ICE. You really should allow the internal components to reach a thermal equilibrium. I do that with every ICE I own. They last a lot longer that way. I never free rev a cold engine either. I let them idle for a minute or so, first.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
Working range for saws is well below WOT (11k and 12.5k) and usually around 8 to 10k depending on the saw. Much higher or lower than that for too long will kill a saw quickly.
I make sure I warm my saws up, cool them down, and keep them under a “healthy” load during operation. In doing this, you can work a saw for hours on end without damaging them or over working them.
Good fuel, good oil, good ratio, sharp chain, clean filter, good tune, to name a few, and you’re set.
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
And don’t run a saw WOT any longer than needed.
spuldup
ArboristSite Operative
Many good points brought up so far. One I will add is to clean out the clutch cover every day of use. The oil/sawdust builds up in there and add thermal insulation, keeping in extra heat.
VinceGU05
PSA vitim.
dont put a stupidly long bar and chain on the saw. use the appropriate saw and bar combo
Not a problem.I use the 14inch bar and chain in came with.
I generally get winded and fatigued long before the saw has "had it" ... and I will always shut it down and give it a rest, not because I am afraid of burning up the saw, but because I'm winded/tired, and that's when you make mistakes/shortcuts that can be dangerous.
IME, the saw will run far longer than I can run it safely. So when I get fatigued, I'll set the saw down and let it idle for 30 seconds or a minute to cool off, then shut it off. By the time I'm ready to start sawing again, the saw has generally cooled down quite a bit.
As others have said, a "lean condition" is what will burn up a saw fastest. So I periodically check that it gets that "4-stroking" burble or flutter sound when at WOT under no load. If the motor screams super-fast under no load WOT, that's a sign that it has leaned out for some reason, and you need to richen up the H screw... set it so that it gets the 4-stroke flutter/burble at WOT under no load, and then "cleans up" when you put it under load in the wood. When in doubt, I always err on the side of "too rich" rather than "too lean" because "too rich" won't generally harm the saw, but "too lean" will -- in a hurry.
If you're not sure what I mean about the "4-stroking flutter/burble," there are some .wav sound files on the page linked below that you can listen to, that will help you understand what you're looking for:
https://www.madsens1.com/carburetoradjustmentonprosaws
IME, the saw will run far longer than I can run it safely. So when I get fatigued, I'll set the saw down and let it idle for 30 seconds or a minute to cool off, then shut it off. By the time I'm ready to start sawing again, the saw has generally cooled down quite a bit.
As others have said, a "lean condition" is what will burn up a saw fastest. So I periodically check that it gets that "4-stroking" burble or flutter sound when at WOT under no load. If the motor screams super-fast under no load WOT, that's a sign that it has leaned out for some reason, and you need to richen up the H screw... set it so that it gets the 4-stroke flutter/burble at WOT under no load, and then "cleans up" when you put it under load in the wood. When in doubt, I always err on the side of "too rich" rather than "too lean" because "too rich" won't generally harm the saw, but "too lean" will -- in a hurry.
If you're not sure what I mean about the "4-stroking flutter/burble," there are some .wav sound files on the page linked below that you can listen to, that will help you understand what you're looking for:
https://www.madsens1.com/carburetoradjustmentonprosaws
Tony Mayhew
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Okay, so the best answer from all of you guys was vinceGU05! Every guy I meet wants a 36inch bar and chain on a saw that doesn't have anywhere close to the power it takes to pull that much chain! Now, I'm going to tell you the real reason that kills chainsaws! If you go back in time and take a look at all the chainsaws that were made, they all had a stinger exaust pipe that allowed the exaust gasses to flow out and away from the saw! A chainsaw was designed to disapate heat being made of magnesium that transfers heat very well! Take a look at all the crap that they put in the exaust pipe these days trying to save the planet! You cannot restrict the exaust of a 2-stroke! The piston is traveling too fast and when you have an explosion of fuel, as soon as it cracks the exaust port open as the piston is traveling down, you now have super heated exaust gasses rushing out at twice the speed of sound! Now, you put a spark arrestor in front of that super heated spent charge, and let's throw in a couple of Baffles to slow it down and a directional change before squeezed out of a narrowed down hole to get out of the saw and you have a heat issue! Because as the piston is traveling back down the cylinder it sucks those hot gasses back into the exaust port and down the transfer ports! And with all that crap restricting it's path you have a piston firing another and another back to back with no rest from the heat! And as Tyrrell says, And there's your dinner! 
LuDookie
ArboristSite Guru
True. Some saws have decent mufflers. Others need to be modified.Okay, so the best answer from all of you guys was vinceGU05! Every guy I meet wants a 36inch bar and chain on a saw that doesn't have anywhere close to the power it takes to pull that much chain! Now, I'm going to tell you the real reason that kills chainsaws! If you go back in time and take a look at all the chainsaws that were made, they all had a stinger exaust pipe that allowed the exaust gasses to flow out and away from the saw! A chainsaw was designed to disapate heat being made of magnesium that transfers heat very well! Take a look at all the crap that they put in the exaust pipe these days trying to save the planet! You cannot restrict the exaust of a 2-stroke! The piston is traveling too fast and when you have an explosion of fuel, as soon as it cracks the exaust port open as the piston is traveling down, you now have super heated exaust gasses rushing out at twice the speed of sound! Now, you put a spark arrestor in front of that super heated spent charge, and let's throw in a couple of Baffles to slow it down and a directional change before squeezed out of a narrowed down hole to get out of the saw and you have a heat issue! Because as the piston is traveling back down the cylinder it sucks those hot gasses back into the exaust port and down the transfer ports! And with all that crap restricting it's path you have a piston firing another and another back to back with no rest from the heat! And as Tyrrell says, And there's your dinner!
